What is the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)?
The NIHR is a government funded organisation that supports the funding and delivery of health and social care research in the UK. Broadly speaking, they provide support for:
- Research training and academic careers including specific support by clinical profession
- Funding of research projects/programmes through a variety of schemes
- Research infrastructure including Clinical Research Networks, Clinical Research Facilities, Research Support Services, Biobanks and Biomedical Research Centres
- Dissemination of research via open platforms/data sources, journal libraries, evidence
- Patient and public involvement
How can my team participate in NIHR Clinical Research Network portfolio studies?
One of the easiest ways of getting involved in research is to support delivery of an NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) study within your team. The CRN supports research being delivered through 30 specialty therapy areas via 15 Local Clinical Research Networks. In October 2024, the NIHR Greater Manchester and North West Coast CRNs will merge into a single organisation. Professor Craig Smith is currently the CRN specialty lead for stroke in Greater Manchester.
The network has a large portfolio of research projects that attract the support of the CRNs at a study co-ordination and local delivery level in NHS Trusts, as well as other settings such as primary care or residential homes. Studies on the NIHR CRN portfolio may attract additional resources at a local level, with Trusts often having a small team of network funded research staff who assist clinical teams in the delivery of studies.
If a study is looking for new NHS sites to recruit participants, the study project team will contact the NIHR CRN who will forward an information pack to Trust R&I offices to cascade through their organisations. Teams should link in with in their R&I office to ensure they are sent relevant study details. NB: often there is a tight time window to express an interest.
In most cases, studies will need someone to act as a Principal Investigator at the local site, who will be supported by others in their team. Those involved will be expected to have
undertaken training to ensure they can safely and effectively deliver studies.
The CRN’s Open Data Platform has more information about local studies on the NIHR portfolio and the Study Support Team can be contacted directly here. You can also search the national NIHR Be Part of Research database for studies in the UK.